IDP Studs and Duds – Week 16

It’s Week 16 of the 2012 fantasy football season, which means that in the majority of IDP leagues this is it. It’s championship week, and that means that after this week’s games one team will reign supreme as the 2012 league champion.

That also means that this marks the end of the line for this year’s column. It’s my hope that I was at least marginally helpful this season, and with the holidays nearly upon us I’d like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas.

So, as we ready for one last huge game it’s time for another week of IDP Studs and Duds, where I’ll point out some Individual Defensive Players who could be set to exceed expectations this week (Studs) and some that for whatever reason are riskier plays than usual (Duds).

That isn’t necessarily to say that every “Stud” is a must-start (it depends on your other options) or that every “Dud” should be glued to your bench (just that the odds of a letdown week are greater than usual).

Finally, before we get on with the show, if you have a specific IDP Start/Sit question you’d like my take on you can e-mail me at askgary@fantasysharks.com or post the question in the “Kilroy Krystal Ball” thread in the Fantasy Sharks IDP Forum. I can’t promise I’ll get toevery question, but I’ll do the best I can.

STUDS

Brandon Graham – DE, Philadelphia Eagles (vs. WAS): The release of Jason Babin led to more playing time for the third-year pro and Graham has made the most of it, racking up 14 tackles, four sacks, and a forced fumble over the last three games, and this week Graham draws a top-five IDP matchup with the Washington Redskins.

Brian Robison – DE, Minnesota Vikings (at HOU): The sixth-year veteran is surprisingly only 1.5 sacks behind teammate Jared Allen, and Robison’s IDP prospects in Week 16 look good given that the Houston Texans have surrendered the fourth-most fantasy points per game to defensive linemen this year.

Kamerion Wimbley – DE, Tennessee Titans (at GB): Wimbley has been something of a disappointment in his first year in Tennessee, but the seventh-year pro has a good shot at ending the IDP season on a high point given that no team has allowed more fantasy points to defensive linemen this season than the Green Bay Packers

David Harris – ILB, New York Jets (vs. SD): Lost in the disaster that is the 2012 New York Jets has been the fact that linebacker David Harris has logged over 100 tackles for the first time since 2009, and this week the 28-year-old has a very favorable IDP matchup with the San Diego Chargers.

Paris Lenon – ILB, Arizona Cardinals (vs. CHI): The Chicago Bears have allowed the most fantasy points per game to the linebacker position this season, so while IDP stud Daryl Washington is a no-brainer start veteran batterymate Paris Lenon could be a sneaky fantasy play for teams in a pinch.

Perry Riley – ILB, Washington Redskins (at PHI): The third-year pro has logged his first 100-tackle season and has been hot of late, averaging 9 tackles over his last three games, and that hot streak should continue against a Philadelphia Eagles team giving up the fifth-most fantasy points to linebackers in 2012.

Eric Berry – SS, Kansas City Chiefs (vs. IND): Berry’s recovery from an ACL injury suffered last year hasn’t gone as smoothly as his IDP owners would have hoped, but the third-year pro had his best game of the year with 11 solos and has a very favorable IDP matchup with the Indianapolis Colts this week.

Thomas DeCoud – FS, Atlanta Falcons (at DET): The continued absence of William Moore should equate to additional tackle opportunities for DeCoud, and that could pay big fantasy dividends Saturday night against a Detroit Lions team giving up the most fantasy points to defensive backs this season.

Reshad Jones – FS, Miami Dolphins (vs. BUF): Jones had been riding a hot streak but had an awful Week 15, but Jones has a great shot at rebounding this week against a Buffalo Bills squad that has been kind to defensive backs this year and against who Jones had a huge game earlier this year.

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